A home for happier memories after Ross Township shooting

Now living alone and relying on a wheelchair, Linda Kozic of Ross Township needs friends to drive her places and help get in and out of her house and up and down its front steps.

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By ANDREW SCOTT

poconorecord.com

By ANDREW SCOTT

Posted Oct. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By ANDREW SCOTT

Posted Oct. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM

YOU CAN HELP

What: Project to make Linda Kozic's Ross Township home more wheelchair-accessible. Kozic was shot in the leg and her husband, Jerry Kozic, was one of three people killed when accused gunman Rockne ...

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YOU CAN HELP

What: Project to make Linda Kozic's Ross Township home more wheelchair-accessible. Kozic was shot in the leg and her husband, Jerry Kozic, was one of three people killed when accused gunman Rockne Newell opened fire at an Aug. 5 Ross Township supervisors' meeting.

Work includes: Replacing the front steps with a wheelchair ramp, widening the front door and renovating the bathroom and an adjoining storage room.

Needed: Bathroom fixtures, a dumpster and community volunteers to help the professionals.

Contact: Kent Heckman, 570-992-5316.

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Now living alone and relying on a wheelchair, Linda Kozic of Ross Township needs friends to drive her places and help get in and out of her house and up and down its front steps.

"My arms get a workout," she said, laughing as she sat in the living room of the 1950s two-story Sears kit Cape Cod that originally belonged to her in-laws.

Getting into her bathroom is another challenge, with that door being too narrow for the wheelchair to fit through.

"I wheel right up to the door and then reach in to grab the edge of the sink so I can stand," Kozic said. "That's how I get around in the bathroom, by grabbing and holding onto things. So, if my bathroom looks somewhat askew, it's because I have to have everything where I can reach it."

Life has been this way ever since Kozic got out of Lehigh Valley Hospital following the tragedy that befell her and an entire community.

Kozic and her husband, Jerry Kozic, were among residents attending the Aug. 5 Ross Township supervisors' meeting when a gunman opened fire, hitting her in the left leg and killing her husband as he shielded her from the bullets.

The accused shooter, Rockne Newell of Flyte Road, was tackled to the ground, at which point his gun discharged a bullet into his own leg. Newell is awaiting trial on three counts of murder.

Kozic was flown to Lehigh Valley, where part of the peripheral artery from her right leg was used to replace the bullet-severed portion of the one in her left leg to save her life. In addition, a rod had to be inserted since the bullet twisted the bone and caused a compound fracture.

"Doctors say another year and a half before I can start walking again," Kozic said. "But I seem to be healing faster than expected, given the amount of damage, which is good. I'm slowly, gradually building up the ability to stand on my right leg for longer periods of time."

Now living with two rescued cats as her only company, Kozic needs help in making her home more wheelchair-accessible. Kent and Lois Heckman of Saylorsburg, Kozic's longtime friends who've been key in helping her, are spearheading a community volunteer effort to bring this about.

The Heckmans and others have arranged for Stroudsburg contractor Ryan Meissner to replace the front steps with a wheelchair ramp to Kozic's front door. The ramp will have two switch-back sections, each measuring 6 feet long by 5 feet wide, and the front door will be widened for the wheelchair to fit through, Meissner said.

Home Depot is supplying materials for the ramp, which was designed by an architect who has chosen to remain anonymous, Kent Heckman said. Meanwhile, Mount Bethel general contractor Bruce Cameron has agreed to oversee the renovation of Kozic's bathroom.

This involves widening the door, removing interior walls to increase the bathroom's size and redoing the tiles, walls and ceiling, as well as renovating an adjoining room now used for storage to include easily accessible closet space, Heckman said.

The washer and dryer will be moved from the basement to that adjoining room once renovation is completed.

Friedman Electric, which has Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville locations, is donating electrical supplies, including lights and switches, to be installed by Sciota electrician Dave Cardwell's company as part of the renovation. Miller's Paints in Brodheadsville is donating paint and related supplies.

"We have a few community volunteers helping out the professionals on these two main projects, but we'd like to have more volunteers," Heckman said. "We also need bathroom fixtures and a dumpster."

Volunteer help will also be needed to do some other renovation work throughout the house.

"I'm trying to make this a home that reflects the happier memories more than the painful memories of the losses I've suffered," said Kozic, a Wilkes-Barre native whose house sits on the edge of what was originally 70 acres of land owned by her husband's Slovakian-immigrant grandparents.

"Jerry and I moved here from Snydersville in 2009 to take care of his mother," she said. "Jerry had to work, so I was the one who ended up caring for her until she died from illness in 2011. We had no children except for our two 11-year-old German shepherds, both of whom we lost to cancer within two months of each other last year.

"So, I have more than my share of sad memories," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she shifted into a more comfortable position in her wheelchair. "Time to make room for the happier ones."

Meanwhile, the community continues to support Kozic with various fundraisers, since she has no medical or life insurance.

"You don't realize how many people out there care about you, even total strangers, until you're in a situation like this," she said. "Knowing there are so many caring people really helps when I'm here struggling with the pain of everything."

And that pain is constant while Kozic undergoes a long healing process.

Her left leg is bandaged below the knee. The inflammation has gone down on her left foot, though the foot is still visibly swollen, but she's unable to move her foot due to muscle and nerve damage.

Kozic still regularly visits doctors, who've been guiding her on how to periodically replace the gauze and bandages. This replacement also involves removing dead flesh from the wound so that it can heal properly.

"It's a nasty process," said Kozic. "The pain is 24/7. I take oxycodone, but don't want to get addicted."

An adjustable bed kept in her living room also helps with the pain.

"Right now, it's enough to know I have a lot of people out there pulling for me," Kozic said. "I can never thank them enough."